Fox Kits at the den

[terrib]

There are two fox kits in a den under washed out tree roots near my home in Divide, CO. The den is near the road and since I've found that animals are less wary of a vehicle than a person, these are all taken from my vehicle using a window bean bag for support. The only down side was that when mom returned with food from the opposite side of the road, the kits ran across to her and I was unable to shoot with the obstructions of the mirrors and windshield.

All shot with my new Tamron 150-600mm but were all shot between 300-400mm. As a side note, one thing I'm not crazy about on the lens is the twist zoom. I much prefer the push/pull of my Canon 100-400.



Here, the kit has spotted mom returning with food.


This was the less dominate kit, waiting for mom to return with more food as its sibling wouldn't share the first portion.

[NorthernFocus]

Excellent set, Terri. The third shot is great with the eye contact. If they're that close by and oblivious to the vehicle, I'd camp on there doorstep. With that lens a really tight portrait or two should be possible.

[Mike Buckley]

The third shot is great with the eye contact.

Indeed!

[Shadowman]

Nicely captured.

[flashback]

Great shots all, nothing like a youngster to be so photogenic.
#2 looks for all the world like a dachshund with a fox mask.
#3 is simply adorable.

Of course, now I can't get that song, "What Does The Fox Say' out of mind. Thanks for that

[chauncey]

FWIW...I use one of these rather than a bean bag http://www.amazon.com/OSN-CP10-Profe...+window+clamps

[deetheturk]

Super shots Terri, really well done!

[bnnrcn]

Very nice series Terri, #3 is just excellent and so cute also

[jprzybyla]

Lovely images Terri. The third is super with the eye contact and pose. If mine I would take out the out of focus branch on the left side and upper right side.

[wilgk]

These are indeed very nice, I also think the 3rd with the eye contact is my favourite.
Looking forward to seeing more!

[Kyle]

Very cute. Great photos.

[FlyingSquirrel]

Terri, great shots. I have not been active much on the forums compared to the past, so I have not had the pleasure of seeing any of your posts lately. I will have to go catch up! You have really improved your images since I last recall.

Regarding car shooting, I recently got this but have not had the chance to use it yet...it allows the attachment of any tripod head (ballhead, gimbal, etc) http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...or_Camera.html

[Paniaa]

Great shots, especially showing catch-lights in the eyes. The dominant kit shows his dog-relationship - pointing.

[terrib]

Lovely images Terri. The third is super with the eye contact and pose. If mine I would take out the out of focus branch on the left side and upper right side.

Thanks, Joe, for the feedback. The out of focus branch/tree bothered me too but my cloning skills aren't good enough to remove them. I started with cropping out the right tree (it is already cropped partially) but I felt it left the subject too crowded.

[terrib]

Thank you, everyone for your comments. I'll try to not overdo the fox photos but I'm still enamored with them after several years of shooting.

Thanks for the other comments/suggestions for car mounts. I looked at those type of mounts but decided to go with the bean bag. It obviously doesn't have the fluidity of a tripod mount but it's very easy to throw up and remove from the window or move to a different position. I many times grab it to set on the hood if I think I can get away with it without scaring off the wildlife. In most situations, the fluidity is not needed for what I'm shooting. But that may be different for other folks.

http://www.adorama.com/KIRKFB1.html

[terrib]

Terri, great shots. I have not been active much on the forums compared to the past, so I have not had the pleasure of seeing any of your posts lately. I will have to go catch up! You have really improved your images since I last recall.

Regarding car shooting, I recently got this but have not had the chance to use it yet...it allows the attachment of any tripod head (ballhead, gimbal, etc) http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...or_Camera.html

Thanks, Matt. Actually I haven't been as active either for many reasons but hoping to join in more this summer.

[NorthernFocus]

...Thanks for the other comments/suggestions for car mounts. I looked at those type of mounts but decided to go with the bean bag. It obviously doesn't have the fluidity of a tripod mount but it's very easy to throw up and remove from the window or move to a different position...

Another advantage of a beanbag is that it dampens out vibration so you can leave the car running. Not so much with birds but with some other wildlife, even if they are habituated to cars, many times they will get alarmed if you shut off the engine. Another simple option when traveling, is to stop in any hardware store and for a couple of dollars you can buy a piece of pipe insulation like this pic. You can cut/tear a piece a few inches long and slide the slit over the edge of the window. You can then adjust the window up/down to the height that you want. If it's the right time of year and you're in a warm area in the USA you can get thicker versions of this stuff in the toy department at Walmart or other stores. It is sold as float toys for kids. This is what I use on my boat when I shoot out the window of the cabin.

[jprzybyla]

Hello Terri, your image edited as I suggested. For the out of focus branch on the left I used the Spot Healing Tool in Photoshop Elements 10 with Content Aware checked off. It takes a little practice, if one direction doesn't work sometimes the other will, small chucks works best. For the part over the fur of the fox I only did from the edge of the fox to the end of the branch so the content aware would match and blend the fur. For the out of focus branch on the right I used the Clone Stamp Tool with a soft brush set to 100% Opacity picking an area next to where I was going to clone out the log and working in pieces downward matching what was to the left of the log. I trust you do not mind my edit, if so I will remove it.

[terrib]

I always appreciate information, Joe, so I'm fine with you editing my photo. You did a great job. thank you for the detailed instructions!

[Brownbear]

Beautiful images Terri! The 3rd image is also my favourite, truly special...